Apparatus for preparing a beverage from a capsule

ABSTRACT

A method for preparing a beverage through a capsule inserted in a beverage machine; the capsule comprising an enclosure containing one or more beverage ingredients, wherein a brewing fluid is introduced in the enclosure to brew the said one or more beverage ingredients, wherein a brewed liquid is filtered by a filtering wall and delivered from the capsule, wherein the filtering wall extends from substantially the bottom of the enclosure and said filtering wall is associated to an overflow wall that forces the brewed liquid to traverse at least one overflow aperture. The method is particularly suitable for brewing a tea containing capsule.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/089,561, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,039,034 filed Jul. 28, 2008,which is a U.S. National Phase of PCT/EP06/066946, filed Oct. 2, 2006,which claims priority to European Patent Application 05109564.4, filedOct. 14, 2005, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a method for preparing and delivering abeverage from a capsule that contains one or more beverage ingredients.The present invention more particularly aims at providing a method forbrewing tea from capsules and a beverage machine although otherbeverages can be successfully brewed by this method.

SUMMARY

Different beverage preparation methods using capsules to be brewed in asuitable beverage machine are known. However, there is no existingmethod that can deliver a high quality tea beverage from a capsulecontaining leaf tea product.

Quality of a tea beverage is highly dependent on the quality of the leaftea ingredients, i.e., the tea origin used (soil, drying, blending,etc.) and their storage conditions. For instance, tea ingredients areusually sensitive to oxygen and light. Preferred tea ingredients aretaken from loose leaves, chiseled or broken in small fragments. However,brewing conditions are also important to take full advantage of thequality of the starting ingredients used.

Another problem with tea beverages resides in that tastecross-contamination must be preferably avoided. Tastecross-contamination happens when two capsules are sequentially brewed inthe machine and when a taste residue is left by the first capsule onpermanent parts of the machine that can consequently affect the taste ofthe second capsule which is brewed just after the first capsule. Fortea, this can be an issue with certain tea varieties that deliver a higharoma profile such as mint tea or other highly flavoured varieties. Alsotea residue may constitute a soil for bacterial growth and may lead tohygiene issues which need to be tackled.

One commercially successful method for extracting coffee beverage fromcapsules consists in placing an air- and water-impermeable capsule intoan extraction device, injecting hot water into the capsule until theinternal pressure in the capsule reaches the value at which a closingmembrane is torn or pierced so that liquid extract can be released outof the capsule. A method on such a principle is described in EP 0 512470. This method provides a high quality espresso-type coffee. Theground coffee is filled in the capsule fresh and can be stored manymonths without significant loss of aroma. The release of the coffee isslightly delayed due to a retarded opening of the membrane underpressure from the time water starts to be injected in the capsule. As aresult, coffee can be fully extracted under optimal pressure and heatconditions. A stable and thick crema or foam is also produced due tohigh stress, pressure release and gas-entrapment conditions which arespecific to this method.

However such method is not suitable for carrying out the infusion orbrewing of beverages such as tea or herbal tea. The result obtained ispoor in term of taste, the beverage has a too high turbidity and mayalso comprise an undesired foam layer. Therefore, surprisingly a premiumquality of tea beverage cannot be reached by such method.

Other methods using pressure for brewing product containing capsules canonly deliver tea beverages that are too turbid, of poor productconcentration and/or of taste that is not of sufficient quality for teaexperts.

Capsules containing roast and ground coffee in which hot water flowsunder gravimetric force through the capsule are known. A capsule of thisgeneral type is described in British Patent No. 1397116. In this method,water is injected from the top of the cartridge and flows down throughthe ground coffee, through a filter and finally through a piercing holeor holes of the bottom side. More sophisticated systems are based on asimilar approach using trunco-conical cartridges such as in US2002/0148356 or using rectangular cartridges such as in US 2002/0148357.

EP 0 615 921 relates to a rigid cartridge for coffee, leaf tea orchocolate. The beverage package is used with water flowing in an upwarddirection. The sidewall of the package is formed from awater-impermeable material in order to encourage an even flow of waterthrough the beverage package. One issue is that freshness of theingredients cannot be maintained long enough unless an additionalairtight package is utilized to over wrap the cartridge. Another problemwith such solution lies in that beverage cannot be properly conducted tothe recipient (cup, mug, glass, . . . ) after being released from thepackage.

EP 1 101 430 relates to a beverage filter cartridge system in whichpressurized water (about 1.4 to 1.7 bar) is provided in downwarddirection through the upper side of the cartridge and beverage iscollected from a lower side of the cartridge. This document alsocontemplates the solution in which the pressurized hot water isintroduced through the bottom side and upwards into the beverageproduct. However, in this solution, the inlet traverses the filter andthe product cake from bottom to the top and water flows finally downwardboth through the fluid medium ingredients down to a bottom outlet.According to the patent application, the introduction of pressurized hotwater squeezes the beverage powder into a cake and permeates the powdermore efficiently.

EP 1 440 904 A1 relates to a cartridge with a bottom lid that ispierceable in use when the cartridge is in a horizontal orientation toaccommodate both inflow and outflow of an aqueous medium to form thebeverage from interaction of the medium and the one or more beverageingredients in the chamber. According to this document, the horizontalpositioning of the cartridge during use allows for an optimised flow ofthe aqueous medium through the cartridge whereas, with verticallyoriented cartridges, the water flows too quickly under the influence ofgravity and may thus by-pass portions of the beverage ingredients.Therefore, this document claims that a horizontally oriented cartridgeallows avoiding this problem, in particular, by arranging for an upwardelement of flow between the inlet and outlet positions.

However, one has surprisingly found that the darker brewed beverageportion tends to stay in the bottom of the cartridge because of itsdensity that is higher than the rest of the beverage. Therefore, abeverage concentration gradient tends to form within the capsule withthe denser beverage portion remaining in the bottom of the capsule; suchportion being finally not delivered into the cup. As a result, theresulting tea beverage in the cup may be of insufficient quality despitethe use of good quality starting ingredients.

Therefore, there is a need to overcome this problem.

In the present application, the terms “capsule” or “cartridge” or“package” are considered as synonymous. The term “capsule” will bepreferentially used. The words “brewing” or “infusion” are used assynonymous. The term “brewing fluid” generally refers to the liquid thatserves to infuse the beverage ingredients, more generally, hot water.

In the present application, the term “tea” encompasses all type of leaftea such as green tea, black tea, white tea, chai tea, flavoured tea andherbal, fruit tea and combinations thereof. The term “leaf tea” or “leafingredient” refers to brewable tea or other ingredients in whatever formsuch as complete, cut or chiseled leaves, small fragments of leaves,powder or dust.

The present invention provides a new way to brew or infuse beverage froma beverage capsule in a beverage machine that provides the followingadvantages:

a method that improves quality of the beverage, in particular, thatprovides a proper beverage concentration into the cup, a good taste anda reduced turbidity,

a method that involves a capsule that is less complicated and lessexpensive to produce,

a method that provides a cleaner beverage delivery and reduces oreliminates the taste cross-contamination and hygiene issues,

a method that also improves the convenience in the capsule handling,i.e., insertion and collection of the used capsules.

For these purposes as well as many others possible, the inventionrelates to a method for preparing a beverage through a capsule insertedin a beverage machine; the capsule comprising an enclosure containingone or more beverage ingredients,

wherein a brewing fluid is introduced in the enclosure, preferablyinjected in the enclosure, to brew the said one or more beverageingredients,

wherein a brewed liquid is filtered by a filtering wall and deliveredfrom the capsule.

Furthermore, an overflow wall is placed in association with thefiltering wall and the filtered liquid traversing the filtering wall isforced to pass at least one overflow aperture of the overflow wall.

Preferably, the overflow aperture is situated at least above the medianhorizontal plane of the enclosure. The overflow wall is configured suchthat at least a portion of the brewed liquid that is filtered throughthe filtering means is forced to move upwardly after the filtering meansto overcome the overflow aperture. This portion of liquid is preferablyat least the denser portion located in the enclosure.

Therefore, according to one aspect of the method of the invention, andwithout willing to be bound to any theoretical model, an effect similarto a “siphon” can be obtained that acts to enable the denser liquid toleave the capsule and to become dispensed, while at the same time, thebeverage ingredients are submerged by the fluid therefore avoidingbypassing areas and ensuring that the mass of ingredient fully interactswith the brewing fluid.

As a result, the method of the invention combines, both the advantagesof the gravimetric top-down directional brewing where the denser liquidcan be captured and the advantages of the upward directional brewingwhere the full mass of product can be fully and slowly submerged buthowever does not carry the disadvantages of each of said brewingprinciples.

In one mode, the filtering means is a wall.

Preferably, the filtering means extends from a level situated below theoverflow aperture(s) so that the lower portion of the filtered brewedliquid is forced to move upwards to the overflow aperture. Preferably,the filtering means is adjacent to the overflow wall. Preferably, thefiltering wall extends substantially along a whole transversal sectionof the enclosure, more preferably substantially from the bottom of theenclosure to the top of the enclosure. This the filtering wall createsthus a sufficiently large filtering surface for the brewed liquid thatfavours a lower brewing pressure in the enclosure and a slow flowvelocity while the flow rate can stay within the acceptable range.

In one aspect, the overflow wall is placed separately in front of thefiltering wall with an interstitial space there between. Thisconfiguration seems to promote the “siphon” effect with the denserliquid in the bottom of the enclosure being able to traverse thefiltering wall and moves upwardly in the interstitial space. The denserliquid is thus no longer confined in the bottom of the enclosure but canbe drawn out through the interstitial space so formed. The dimensions ofthe interstitial space can range of from 0.1 to 8 mm, preferably, about0.5 to 3 mm.

In one aspect, the overflow aperture is situated above the ¾ of theheight of the enclosure; even preferably, the aperture is substantiallyhorizontally aligned with the top end of the enclosure. As a result thewhole mass of the beverage ingredients can be properly submerged andconsequently properly brewed regardless of the filling level of theenclosure by the beverage ingredients.

In another aspect of the invention, noticeable improvements of thequality of the beverage have been obtained when the fluid injectionpressure is kept minimal. In particular, the beverage was found lessturbid and the beverage taste has even been found better. Therefore, bythe method of the invention, the brewing fluid enters the enclosure at arelative pressure below 0.2 bar, preferably, below 0.1 bar and mostpreferably from atmospheric pressure to a value below 0.1 bar.

In the present context, the “relative pressure” is meant to be thepressure that is measured just outside of the fluid inlet of the capsule(and downstream an eventual backpressure valve) and refers to the valueof pressure above the ambient atmospheric pressure.

In one embodiment of the invention, the filtering means is apre-fabricated filter and the overflow wall is a sealing wall of thecapsule that is opened before brewing. This configuration provides theadvantage of lesser interaction between the capsule and the machine, sothat less hygiene or contamination issues can arise.

According to the method of the invention, a pre-fabricated filteringmeans is meant to be a filter media which has the function to removeundesirable insoluble particles from the brewed liquid. The filter mediacan be constructed from a variety of materials including, but notlimited to, plastic, foil, non-woven polyester, polypropylene,polyethylene, paper materials, and combinations thereof. The filtermedia comprises one or more filtering orifices that allow the freepassage of the infused solution, while simultaneously preventing thepassage of a significant amount of undesirable insoluble ingredientparticles. In particular, for a tea beverage, the filter media isimportant to maintain the majority of tea solid particles coming fromthe leaf powder or finely cut, chiseled or crushed particles, inside theenclosure. The filter should preferably be sufficiently rigid to notdeform too much under the pressure of water in the enclosure which wouldotherwise close the interstitial space and block the beverage upwardflow. Therefore, for a paper filter, the G.S.M (grams per square meter)of the filter should be preferably above 10 g/m², even more preferablyabove 15 g/m². Also, the pressure in the enclosure should remain low andtherefore the fluid permeability of the filter should so be sufficientto let beverage traverse slowly the filter without offering too muchresistance. For this, its permeability can be defined by an airpermeability of the filter that should preferably be higher than 1200l/m², more preferably higher than 1650 l/m². The overflow wall andfiltering can also be made of an integral piece. For instance, thefiltering means can also be formed of a multitude of small needlesprotruding from the overflow wall. The interstitial space is thus formedbetween the needles.

In order to prevent a significant rise in pressure at the start of thebrewing process, the overflow sealing wall is also preferably openedbefore a significant amount of fluid is introduced into the enclosure.By controlling the magnitude of the overflow aperture, the backpressurecreated by the overflow wall can be thus considerably reduced and thepressure rise can, be significantly eliminated at the start of thebrewing cycle.

The aperture of the overflow wall can be carried out in many differentways such as by puncturing the sealing wall at the determinedoverflowing location or peeling off a removable membrane covering apredefined hole. However, it is preferable for essentially convenientreasons that the opening is carried out by puncturing at least one holethrough said sealing wall.

The puncturing of the sealing wall can also be carried out in manydifferent ways. One preferred example is to utilize a mechanicalperforator that is part of the capsule, in which case, less interactionis produced between the beverage and the machine part which results inless cross-contamination issues and less cleaning. The mechanicalperforator can be activated using an activating system of the machine(e.g., a solenoid driven pusher) or manually by the user withoutmechanical/hydraulic intervention of the machine.

In a possible alternative, the at least one overflow aperture can becarried out by a mechanical or a hydraulic perforator that is a part ofthe machine. A mechanical perforator can be one or more needles orblades. A hydraulic perforator can be one or more fluid jets ofsufficient velocity to punctually perforate the overflow wall.

In another possible embodiment, the overflow wall comprises at least apre-made overflow aperture. The overflow can be premade by constructionper se of the capsule. The overflow wall can be internal to the capsuleand protected by an outer closing membrane. The closing membrane canclose the capsule in a gastight manner to improve the maintenance offreshness of the ingredients contained in the enclosure. The membranecan be punctured by a puncture means that is either part of the capsuleor foreign to the capsule (i.e., part of the machine receiving thecapsule). The membrane can be punctured for forming an outlet for thedelivery of the brewed beverage out of the capsule. Preferably, themembrane is punctured wherein no significant positive pressure has beenbuilt in the enclosure.

The number of apertures in the overflow wall is not critical. In oneexample, the sealing or overflow wall is opened to form a singleaperture through said wall for the release of the beverage through thefilter and from the enclosure. The overflow aperture should leave anopening area that is large enough to enable beverage to exit at asufficient flow rate and to not create too much backpressure so thatinternal pressure can stay relatively low in the enclosure.

According to another aspect of the invention, the brewed liquid isconducted downward from the overflow opening through a beverage conduitto a beverage outlet.

Therefore, the brewed liquid can be dispensed properly and hygienicallyinto the recipient (cup, mug, . . . ) while keeping a simple capsuleconstruction and promoting an easy handling of the capsule in themachine.

For this, the method of the invention contemplates the positioning ofthe capsule substantially vertically and the carrying of the beveragefrom the overflow opening location to the beverage outlet in a downwarddirection. As a result, while fluid travels substantially horizontallyand upwardly in the enclosure and the interstitial space, beverage isthen dispensed downwards while the capsule can be positioned verticallyin the machine. This approach provides significant advantages over theexisting systems that prone a horizontal arrangement of the capsule inthe machine. In the present invention, not only the flow can becontrolled slowlier through the capsule for a better infusion qualitybut the whole capsule system is greatly simplified and the handling ofthe capsule is easier.

Indeed, as the capsule can be placed vertically, capsule insertion andcapsule removal is facilitated since the capsule can be insertedvertically from the top of the machine and it can be removed duringopening of the machine along a same axis or direction by simple gravityand without need for complicated ejection devices and/or user'sintervention.

In a preferred embodiment, the beverage conduit and the beveragedispense outlet are parts of the capsule and the beverage flows out ofthe capsule without direct contact with machine parts. This provides theadditional benefits that cleaning or rinsing of the machine part is nolonger required and taste cross-contamination can be so eliminated.

In another embodiment of the invention, the filtering means is a sealingwall of the capsule which is perforated by a plurality of discreteperforating members that stay in place for brewing and the overflow wallis an external wall facing the perforated sealing wall of the capsule.In other words, the filter is obtained by the conjunctions of aperforated sealing wall and discrete perforating members of the machine.When the perforating members are engaged in puncturing arrangement withthe sealing wall, very small interstices are left for the brewed liquidto pass there through while the solid particles are primarily retainedinside the enclosure. This arrangement has the advantage of a simpler,lower cost of capsule although more product interaction occurs betweenthe capsule and the machine.

If necessary, an additional filter media can be used.

In an alternative, the discrete perforating members can be removed forbrewing and a filter media be used inside within the enclosure.

The discrete perforating members can be needles, blades, pyramids, orother equivalent puncturing means that produces small, discrete anddistributed apertures in the sealing walls.

In an embodiment, fluid can be introduced in the capsule through anentry wall of the enclosure that is opposed to the filtering wall.Again, contrary to the teaching of the prior art, fluid can beintroduced on any possible side of the capsule. Preferably, the fluid isintroduced from the opposed side while keeping all the benefits of theinvention, i.e., slow flow for high quality infusion, controlledguidance of the beverage to the cup, reduced cross-contamination andeasy handling of the capsule in the machine. This “opposed side”approach is even preferred because first it ensures that water cantraverse fully though the ingredients and it also leaves more room forplacing the injection fluid system on one side and it so contributes tothe compactness of the capsule system (both capsule and machine).

The invention also relates to a beverage capsule system for preparing abeverage comprising:

a beverage capsule comprising an enclosure containing one or morebeverage ingredients,

a brewing device comprising capsule handling members that maintain thecapsule in a determined brewing position,

a filtering wall is provided to filter the brewed liquid that exits theenclosure. Further, an overflow wall is placed in association with thefiltering wall and the filtered liquid traversing the filtering wall isforced to pass at least one overflow aperture of the overflow wall.

Preferably, the overflow aperture is situated at least above the medianhorizontal plane of the enclosure. The overflow wall is configured suchthat at least a portion of the brewed liquid that is filtered throughthe filtering wall is forced to move upwardly after the filtering wallto overcome the overflow aperture. This portion of liquid is preferablythe denser portion located in the enclosure.

Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will beapparent from the following Detailed Description and the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a brewing capsule system forcarrying out the method of the invention according to a firstembodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a the brewing system of FIG. 1during brewing of the capsule;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a brewing capsule system forcarrying out the method of the invention according to a secondembodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a the brewing system of FIG. 3during brewing of the capsule;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a capsule according to a thirdembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the capsule of FIG. 5 along medianvertical plane A;

FIG. 7 is a perspective external view of the cover or lid of the capsuleof FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a perspective internal view of the cover or lid of the capsuleof FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a plane internal view of the cover or lid of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cup-shaped housing of the capsuleof FIG. 5;

FIG. 11 shows the phase of insertion of the capsule of FIGS. 5 to 10 inthe brewing device;

FIG. 12 shows the phase of closing of the brewing device about thecapsule;

FIG. 13 shows the phase of creating the overflow aperture of the capsulebefore brewing in the brewing device;

FIG. 14 shows the phase of removal of the capsule from the brewingdevice;

FIG. 15 shows a cross section view of a trunconical capsule according toa fourth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 16 shows a cross sectional view in direction I-I of median plane Bof the capsule of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 shows a cross sectional view of a rectangular capsule accordingto a fifth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18 shows a cross sectional view in direction II-II of median planeB of the capsule of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 shows a cross sectional view of a capsule according to a sixthembodiment;

FIG. 20 shows a cross sectional view in the direction of median plane Bof the capsule of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 shows a schematic perspective view of the principle capsuleaccording to a seventh embodiment;

FIG. 22 is a cross sectional view of the capsule of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a cross sectional view of a variant of the capsule of FIG.22.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The general principle of the method of the invention will now beexplained in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2 in a first possible mode and inrelation to FIGS. 3 and 4 in a second possible mode.

In the first mode, a capsule system 1 is provided that comprises acapsule 2 and a beverage brewing device 10. For simplicity, the beveragebrewing device is only schematically depicted and may, in reality,comprise additional technical features within the normal knowledge ofthe skilled person of the art. The capsule comprises an enclosure 20containing beverage ingredients such as leaf tea and the like. Theenclosure is demarcated by a cup-shaped housing 21 and a filtering wall22 that is fixedly attached to peripheral inner step 23 of the housing21. The housing may encompass different cross sections such as acircular, ellipsoid, square, rectangular or polygonal section thatdetermine as a matter of fact the general profile of the filtering wall22. The enclosure is sized to accommodate a dose of leaf beverageingredient of typically about between 5 to 10 grams, preferably 2 to 5grams. The dose of leaf ingredient may depend on the final volume ofbeverage to produce. For an individual cup of tea, a typical dose can beof about 2 grams whereas for a tea pot, a typical dose can be of about 8to 10 grams. As clearly apparent in FIG. 1, the capsule is positionedrelative to the brewing device 10 so that the filtering wall 22 extendssubstantially vertical and from substantially the bottom of theenclosure. For this, the capsule is preferably positioned in a“vertical” arrangement in the brewing device 10. The cup-shaped housing21 can be so oriented with its large opening and its bottom oriented ina vertical position.

The capsule is preferably closed by a sealing wall 3 that hermeticallycloses the enclosure 20. The sealing wall is attached, for instance, toa peripheral outer rim 24 of the cup-shaped housing.

Both the sealing wall and the housing can be made of oxygen barriermaterials and the enclosure can be substantially free of oxygen so thatthe freshness of the beverage ingredients can be preserved during anextended period of time. The sealing wall can be a flexible membrane ora semi-rigid plastic part. A puncturable sealing membrane is preferredsuch as a monolayer or a multi-layer membrane, typically, laminates ofPET/Aluminium/PP, PE/EVOH/PP, PET/Metallised/PP, Aluminium/PP.

The enclosure is preferably oxygen free and may contain flushed inertgas such as N2, N2O or CO2.

The capsule can further comprise a cover member 4 that is also attachedto the rim 24 of the housing and overlaps the sealing wall 3. The coverforms an internal channel 40 that terminates at its side end by anoutlet 41.

The shape of the capsule is not very critical. Preference is given to atrunconical, ellipsoidal or hemispherical shapes for different reasons.This allows a larger surface for the exit of the beverage through thesealing wall when perforated and a reduction of the inside pressure. Thehousing can also be manufactured industrially at lower cost by plasticthermoforming or aluminium or aluminium-plastic deep drawing. This shapewith smoother corners also favours the removal of the handling membersand so the ejection of the capsule.

Turning to the brewing device 10, it comprises capsule handling members30, 31 that are configured to hold the capsule in the “vertical”arrangement as defined. These handling members 30, 31 can be machinejaws or any suitable mechanical enclosing means that can open and closeabout the capsule and can maintain it firmly in place. There is no needfor providing high closing forces since the involved fluid pressure inthe capsule remains relatively low and, preferably, as close as possibleto the atmospheric pressure. Also, since the capsule can withstand thelow brewing pressure therefore the capsule does not necessarily need tobe entirely enclosed but simply held water tightly in place duringbrewing. This participates to a simplification of the machine and reducemachine costs.

The brewing device comprises a water supply 32, such as a water tank, awater pump 33, a heater 34 and a hot water injection line 35 that ismanaged through the handling member 30. The brewing device may alsocomprise a controller and a user interface board (not shown) to managethe beverage preparation cycles as known in the art. A backpressurevalve 36 can be provided to lower the pressure at the entry side orinjection member 38 (such as a needle(s) or blade(s) and a water inlet)in the capsule. Of course, the backpressure valve could be omitted and alow pressure pump could be used that delivers fluid at low pressure.Medium to high pressure pump may however be preferred because of theirrobustness and reliability and so used in combination with abackpressure valve.

The brewing device may further comprise a means 37 for perforating thesealing wall at an overflow location of the enclosure. As shown in FIG.1, the perforating means 37 can be activated after closing of thehandling members 30, 31 about the capsule. The perforating means isforced through the cover 4 and sealing wall 3 to create an overflowaperture 25 and then is retracted away from the aperture 25 to leave theaperture fully open.

Importantly, in the brewing operation shown in FIG. 2, the capsulefinally comprises an overflow wall 3 with an overflow aperture 25 placedat least above the median horizontal plane P of the enclosure. As alsoapparent in FIG. 2, the filtering wall 22 and the overflow wall 3 arespaced apart a short distance sufficient to create an interstitial space“s” that is supposed, without being bound by theory, to work as a sortof “siphon” that can promote the upward motion of the denser beverageportion that is predominantly localized in the bottom of the enclosure.

In relation to FIG. 2, the method of the invention works as follows. Acapsule is inserted in the brewing device and the capsule handlingmembers are closed about the capsule to position it with the sealingwall being substantially vertically oriented. An overflow aperture 25 iscreated by the perforating means 37 that punctures the sealing wall 3and is withdrawn to leave the aperture opened. On the opposite side ofthe capsule, the fluid injection member is introduced in the capsule'senclosure. Hot water is thus injected in the capsule at relatively lowpressure, preferably, at a pressure not exceeding 0.2 bar. Hot waterslowly fills the capsule in and submerges the beverage ingredients inthe enclosure. The brewed beverage is filtered through the filteringwall 22. A denser portion 5 of the beverage may tend to settle in thebottom of the enclosure; which portion is also filtered through thefiltering wall since the filtering wall is properly placed adjacent thisportion. The denser beverage is evacuated through the interstitial space“s” as caused by the variation of pressure between the lower part of thespace and the upper part of said space therefore acting similarly to a“siphon”. The rest of the beverage is also filtered also by passingthrough the filtering wall at different vertical levels up to the upperlevel of the fluid in the enclosure and is evacuated to the overflowaperture 25.

It should be noted that the overflow aperture should preferably beplaced above the ¾ of the total height of the enclosure and evenpreferably be placed above the ⅘ of the total height of the enclosure;thus ensuring a more complete submergence of the beverage ingredientsand a slower evacuation of the beverage from the enclosure which favoursa better infusion process.

The “total height” of the enclosure is meant to be the total distanceseparating the lowermost point of the enclosure to the uppermost pointof the enclosure when the capsule is positioned in the beverage machineready for the brewing operation. In a mode, the filtering wall issubstantially equal to the total height of the enclosure.

It can be noted that a “direct flow” can be obtained where the brewedliquid is dispensed directly into the recipient 6 (e.g., cup, mug andthe like). By “direct flow”, it is meant that the outlet is arranged inrespect to the brewing device so that the brewed liquid does notencounter any permanent device part when leaving the outlet. In otherwords, the outlet is placed sufficiently low and laterally spaced fromthe capsule handling members to avoid any significant contact of theliquid with these members when released.

The principle of the brewing method according to FIGS. 1 and 2encompasses different variants and equivalences.

For instance, the overflow wall 3 may not be perforated but may bepre-opened by a pre-cut overflow aperture. The pre-cut overflow aperturemeans an aperture which has already been made at the manufacturing stageof the capsule. Freshness of the beverage ingredients may so bepreserved by different means such as by an airtight closed cover with asealed outlet that is unsealed just before brewing or by the use of anairtight over wrap package that encloses the capsule.

The capsule may also be conceived without the cover 4 and its channelingfunction. In which case, the front handling member 31 may be designed tocollect the brewed liquid as it passes the overflow wall 3 and travelsdown to the recipient.

Another significantly different variant of the invention is described inrelation to FIGS. 3 and 4. For the sake of simplicity, the samenumerical references are here utilized to refer to the same technicalmeans or features as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. This variantdiffers in that the capsule does not longer bear the overflow wall andthe beverage channel and outlet which are part of the brewing machine.This results in a much simpler, lower cost capsule and a more complexbrewing device but may be regarded as equivalent as far as the generalbrewing principle is concerned.

The capsule can thus comprise an enclosure demarcated by a cup-shapedhousing 21 and a sealing wall 26 sealingly attached to the housing, forexample, along peripheral sealing edges 24. The sealing wall 26 is aflexible puncturable membrane that imperviously closes the housing. Theenclosure is preferably oxygen free and may contain flushed inert gassuch as N2, N2O or CO2.

The overflow wall is here a part of the brewing device and illustratedas reference 3B. On the surface of it, facing the sealing wall of thecapsule is provided a plurality of puncturing members 39. Thesepuncturing members are preferably distributed across a surface thatsubstantially covers at least ¾ of the surface of the sealing wall, andpreferably over about 80% to 100% of the surface of the sealing wall.More importantly, the puncturing members should extend vertically fromthe vicinity of the bottom of the enclosure to enable evacuation of thedenser portion of the brewed liquid that settles in the bottom of theenclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the method can start with the capsule beingplaced between the two capsule handling members 30, 31 of the brewingdevice with the puncturing members 39 being sufficiently away from thesealing surface to allow an easy capsule insertion in the device. Thecapsule can be maintained in place before closing of the device by anysuitable holding system 310 engaging its peripheral edge 24 asschematically illustrated.

For brewing the capsule, the brewing device is closed about the capsulewhich causes the puncture members 39 to puncture the sealing wall 26 ofthe capsule. The combination of the puncturing elements 39 and thesealing wall in the puncturing arrangement can form a filtering meanssufficient to filter the brewed liquid that leaves the enclosure.

The puncturing elements can be selected in number, shape and size suchthat the filtering is effective enough to remove the turbidity of thebrewed liquid that is released. These characteristics of the puncturingelements are also chosen so as to not create too much backpressure thatcould force pressure to rise inside the enclosure and negatively affectsthe quality of the beverage. In a preferred example, the number ofpuncturing elements is from 10 to 100, preferably between 20 to 40. Thepuncturing cross section of the elements can vary from 0.01 to 2 mm,preferably, of from 0.1 to 1 mm. The shape may be conical, cylindrical,square, star-shaped, pyramidal, etc.

The brewed liquid can therefore be filtered between the orifices createdby the puncturing members and the surfaces of said members and be soreleased in an interstitial space “s” provided between the puncturedsealing wall 26 and the overflow wall 3B of the brewing device facingthe sealing wall 26. The interstitial space can be produced bypuncturing the wall 26 over a limited length of the puncturing members39 and providing a stepwise arrangement of the capsule handling membersand/or an abutment means placed there between. The brewed liquid can beso collected in the space through the sealing wall at different verticallevels of the enclosure depending on the specific density of the brewedlayers and be evacuated through the space and to an overflow aperture250 belonging to the front capsule handling member 31. The brewed liquidis then guided downwardly in a beverage flow channel 400 to a beverageoutlet 410 and can so be gently dispensed as a directed flow of beverageto the cup.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in relation to FIGS.5 to 10. These figures illustrate a variant of the beverage capsule 2for carrying out the method of the invention.

The beverage capsule 2 comprises an enclosure 20 for containing one ormore beverage ingredients. The enclosure 20 is defined by the assemblyof a cup-shaped shell 21 and a filtering wall 22. A sealing exit wall 3Bcloses the shell 21 hermetically and will serve the purpose of theoverflow wall as will be explained later on. The capsule furthercomprises a cover or lid 4 with a peripheral rim that is attached to theperipheral rim 42 of the housing 21. The connection between the lid andhousing can be made by gluing, welding, snap fitting and anycombinations thereof.

The exit sealing wall 3B may be constructed of a rigid, semi-rigid, ornon-rigid material, or combinations thereof. Suitable materials include,but are not limited to, plastics, PET, aluminium foil, polymeric film,paper, and the like. In a preferred mode, the wall is a flexiblemembrane made of monolayer or laminate with a gas barrier and oxygen issubstantially removed from the enclosure during manufacturing by inertgas flushing or a similar technique, therefore, to maintain freshness ofthe beverage ingredients before use.

The lid serves as a support for at least one puncture means or punctureindication means 8. Indeed, the capsule comprises at least one puncturemeans 8 positioned relatively to the sealing wall 3B to be able toproduce at least one overflow aperture in the sealing wall. In thepreferred example shown here, the capsule comprises two puncture means8A, 8B. The need for two puncture means on the capsule will becomeapparent in the following description, but in simple terms, it enablesto use the capsule in different orientations in the brewing machine andso provide more convenience to the user in the handling of the capsule.

The puncture means are positioned in an off-centered arrangementrelative to the median plane B representing the horizontal plane passingby the centre of the enclosure 20 when the capsule is placed inoperation in the brewing device 10.

In this preferred mode, the capsule comprises two series (respectivelyreferenced “A” and “B”) of one puncture means 8A, 8B and of one beverageoutlet 41A, 41B; each series being placed offset relative to the mediancentre plane B of the sealing exit wall and opposed to each other. Inparticular, the two series 8A, 41A; 8B, 41B of said puncture means andsaid outlets, are placed symmetrically with respect to a median planepassing through the centre plane of the sealing exit wall.

The main advantage of such configuration is that the capsule can be sooriented in two possible orientations, at about 180° one another, thusfacilitating insertion and placing of the capsule in the machine. Ofcourse the number of series could exceed two, preferably an even numbersuch for instance four series which are grouped by two at 90° degreesfrom each other, so that it offers four different possible orientationsin the machine.

The capsule further comprises a filtering wall 22 that is spaced apart ashort distance relative to the sealing wall in order to leave aninterstitial space “s” there between. The filter wall can be attached byany suitable connection means, such as welding, gluing, snap fitting orany equivalents, to a peripheral stepped portion 23 of the housing. Thefilter media can be constructed from a variety of materials including,but not limited to, plastic, foil, non-woven polyester, polypropylene,polyethylene, paper materials, and combinations thereof.

The beverage flow conducting means 40 can preferably be positionedadjacent and outside relative to the sealing exit wall. As a result, thecapsule can be oriented vertically, e.g., its exit wall being verticallyoriented, in order for the flow to be directed straight down to the cupvia the beverage flow conducting means and the beverage outlet. Oneadditional advantage is that the capsule can be “direct flow” in thesense that the beverage that leaves the machine falls down directly intothe cup without touching a part of the machine. The benefits are so lesstaste cross-contamination and reduced cleaning.

According to an aspect of the invention, the puncture means 8A, 8B andthe beverage outlets 41A, 41B are respectively placed at two oppositeoff-centered sites relative to the centre or plane B of the sealing exitwall or enclosure. By the fact that the beverage leaves the enclosure atapproximately the highest point and leaves the beverage outlet atapproximately the lowest opposite point of the capsule, the combinedadvantage is that the capsule can both be held in a vertical orientationfor an improved brewing and can produce a “direct flow” of the beverageinto the cup.

Preferably, one of the beverage outlets 8A, 8B, depending on thecapsule's orientation in the brewing device, becomes so orienteddownwards to release the beverage in a direction that is substantiallyorthogonal to the direction at which the beverage is released out of theoverflow location. This configuration enables to orient the capsule inthe machine such that the beverage is released in a straight downwarddirection into the cup thus favouring a “direct flow” without contactwith the machine.

In a preferred mode, the flow conducting means 40 is shared by the twoseries A, B at once. As a result, the construction of the capsule isrationalized and less costly to produce.

As more particularly shown in FIG. 7 or 9, the capsule can also beshaped to promote and indicate to the user a particular direction forinsertion into the brewing device. For instance, the capsule can beprovided with an elongated shape having an axial distance L and ashorter transversal distance W; wherein the at least one puncture means8A, 8B and at least one outlet 41A, 41B are placed substantially alongthe axial distance.

The puncture means 8A, 8B comprises two spring-biased mechanicalperforating members that are better shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Each memberis formed of one resilient plastic tongue 810 made integral with therest of the lid. The tongue supports at its flexure end 811 an innerspike 812 sufficiently large to create an overflow aperture ofsufficient section in the sealing wall. At its attached end 813, thetongue connects integrally to the surface of the transversal surface ofthe lid. The two puncture means and outlets are thus aligned along thelonger axis of the lid.

In the inner recess 81 of the lid, internal portions of wall 820, 821are provided that run parallel to each other and on each side of thepuncture means. The portion of wall 820 extends inwardly andperpendicularly to the recess 81 and comes proximate to the sealing wall3B. They also preferably run from a point proximate to the two outlets41A, 41B in order to form the inner channel 40 capable of guiding theflow of brewed liquid from the overflow aperture to its respectiveoutlet placed opposite on the lid.

FIG. 10 shows the capsule housing or shell 21. In particular, thehousing can be formed of thermoformed; blow moulded or injected inplastic such as PP or a PP laminate comprising an oxygen barrier or anysuitable food grade polymer or of deep drawn aluminium oraluminium-polymer laminate. The housing has a peripheral rim 24 thatextends as a flange to constitute a substantially flat sealing portiononto which can be sealed the sealing wall and snap fitted and/or sealedthe cover 4. A small step 23 is conceived radially inward to the rimforming a step to receive the filter wall that can be sealed orotherwise connected to the flat radial portion of the step. The depth ofthe step depends on the thickness of the filter wall and on the controlof the interstitial space to provide the siphon effect. For instance,the filter wall can range from 0.1 to 1.5 mm whereas the depth of stepranges of from 0.2 to 5 mm whereas the interstitial space ranges of from0.1 to 3.5 mm.

At the rear of the housing, the wall of the housing can comprise araising zone 26 that constitutes the injection region for theintroduction of the fluid in the capsule. The raising zone is soconceived to resist to compressive forces of the injection device 38 andto puncture at its centre more easily.

It can be noted that the puncture means could be replaced by merepuncture indication means, for instance, at least one hole providedthrough the lid that is placed strategically to guide an externalperforator of the brewing device in a way similar to the embodiment ofFIG. 1.

FIGS. 11 to 14 refer to the brewing process and related machine systemof the capsule of FIGS. 5 to 10. The advantages of the “vertical”arrangement of the capsule in the brewing device become even moreapparent in relation to these figures in relation to the convenience inthe handling of the capsule from insertion to removal.

An exemplary of a brewing module will now be depicted in more details inrelation to FIGS. 11 and 14 that represent respectively the insertionand ejection modes of the capsule. The brewing module 3B comprises twomain capsule handling members 30, 31 that cooperate in engagement toclose about the capsule 2 of FIG. 5. A front handling member 31 can befixed relative to the brewing device (not entirely depicted) whereasrear handling member 30 is mobile relative to member 31. One can notethat this could be the opposite; the front member could be mobile andthe rear member fixed or both could be mobile. The front handling memberhas guiding insertion means 320 that enable to insert the capsule in thebrewing device. Means 320 can be a lateral member comprising two lateralslots 320 placed on each side of the capsule to engage the rim 24 of thecapsule. The slot can be slightly slanted toward the front handlingmember in a manner to progressively bring the capsule near the fronthandling member as capsule progressively falls down by gravity in thedevice. A retaining means 310 is provided at the lower part of thehandling member for the capsule to be retained in place once insertedin. A lower portion of the rim 24 of the capsule thus engages anabutting portion of means 310.

In the front handling member is provided a mechanical pusher 370 that isslidably mounted through a bearing portion 371 of the handling member.The mechanical pusher can be associated to an actuating means such aselectromechanical solenoid, a cam or any equivalent means (not shown)that can move the mechanical pusher back and forth through the bearingportion. The mechanical pusher is so moveable in two positions; a firstretracted position of FIG. 11 in which the free end 372 of the pusher iskept away from the capsule when placed in the device and a secondextended position shown by FIG. 13 in which the pusher actually engagesthe upper puncture means 8.

The rear handling member 30 comprises a housing 300 having a shape thatis substantially complementary to the shell 21 of the capsule. Thehousing includes at its bottom end a fluid injection member 38 that canbe, for instance, a sharp needle 380 traversed by a fluid conduit 381.At the rear of the rear handling member is located a gland that isconnected to a fluid tubing (not shown) linked to the fluid system ofthe beverage device. The housing 300 has at its open end a smallperipheral recess 301 in which is lodged an annular seal joint 302 thatmakes the fluid tightness against the back of the stepped rim 24 of thecapsule when closing is carried out.

The rear handling member 30 can be moved along a substantiallyhorizontal path by means of a toggle lever system 9 that is not going tobe described in detail here since many different mechanical orhydraulically assisted closing means can be envisaged by a man skilledin the art to move the handling member in a closing arrangement aboutthe capsule in conjunction with the front handling member.

FIG. 12 shows the rear handling member 30 being displaced by the togglelever system 9 that extends toward a close position of the brewingdevice and the rear of the capsule being pierced by injection member 38.

In FIG. 13, when the handling members 30, 31 have been closed about thecapsule and the capsule is tightly secured along its stepped rim 24, themechanical pusher 370 is activated in the deployed position to push theupper puncture means 8 against the sealing wall 3 of the capsule. Thisresults in the sealing wall being locally punctured with an overflowaperture. The mechanical pusher is then moved to its retracted positionthus leaving the aperture fully disengaged. In the next step, thebrewing can start and fluid can be injected in the capsule for brewingthe ingredients as already explained.

In FIG. 14, the handling members open, i.e., the rear handling member isretracted, which causes the capsule to be slightly pulled back and thusit can fall down by gravity and be discarded.

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate another variant of the capsule of theinvention that is conceived to be brewed while being positioned“horizontally” in the brewing machine. The general brewing principleremains the same as in the preceding examples. The capsule comprises anenclosure 20 containing the one or more ingredients to be brewed. Theenclosure is demarcated by the trunconical shell 21, a lower wall 27 andan inner filter wall 22. The filter wall transversally splits the innervolume of the shell in two parts; the enclosure and a second beveragecollecting volume 26. The filter wall is placed so that it runs from thetwo top/bottom ends of the enclosure so that the denser liquid thattends to stay near the bottom can be removed through the filter. Thelower wall 27 can be a circular portion that is attached to the rim 24of the shell 21 such as by crimping, welding, gluing or combinationsthereof. It comprises an overflow wall 3C that rises upwardly inside theshell in front of the filter and leaves an overflow aperture 255 in aregion close to upper bottom/wall of the shell 21. The overflow wall isspaced at short distance “s” from the filter wall 22. A beverage outlet41 is provided in the collect chamber 26 and through the bottom wall 27.The beverage capsule of FIGS. 15 and 16 is brewed in a “horizontal”orientation, i.e., with the bottom wall and outlet 41 facing downwardly.Water is injected at low pressure in the enclosure, preferably from thebottom wall. The brewed liquid flows through the filter wall 22 and isforced to pass the overflow aperture 3C to the collect chamber 26 thendown to the outlet 41.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate another variant of the capsule that isdesigned to be brewed according to the method of the invention. Thecapsule possesses the same features as the capsule of FIGS. 15 and 16except that it is of a rectangular shape. The capsule also comprises aninjection point 29 that can be a pre-scored or weakened portion for theintroduction of a water nozzle of the brewing device. The weakened zonecan be a plastic part that breaks when forced by the nozzle's introducedtherein.

FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate another possible embodiment of capsule thatis designed to be brewed according to the general principle of theinvention. In this embodiment, the overflow wall is a funnel 3D thatprolongs the outlet 41 inside the capsule. The funnel remains shortenough to leave an upper gap 256 between the end section of the funneland the upper surface of the capsule to constitute the overflowaperture. It can be noted that the supporting structure of the capsulecan encompass many variants such as the one illustrated in this example.Here, the capsule has an inverted U-shaped shell 210 with its bottomwall 211 forming the bottom of the capsule; and is closed by a cover260. The shell is delimited in two volumes by a planar verticallyoriented filtering wall 22. The injection of water in the enclosure 20that contains the ingredient can be carried out either through the cover260 in which case the cover is preferably a puncturable membrane orthrough the shell 210 (i.e., in the side or bottom).

FIGS. 21 and 22 illustrate another variant in which the capsule is madeof concentric tubular elements of progressively decreasing diameters(i.e., respectively, from a first to a third portion). The outer body orhousing of the capsule is made of a first tubular body 220. The overflowwall is made of a second tubular portion 3E of smaller diameter andsmaller height. The filtering member 22 is made of a third tubularportion of smaller diameter and substantially equal height as the outerbody. This third tubular portion can be, for instance, a spongy or paperor woven, or nonwoven or sintered plastic tube or a combination thereof.The beverage ingredient fills the interior of the third tubular portionthat so constitutes the enclosure 20. The outer body can be sealed onits upper and lower sides by respectively upper and lower lids 261, 262.Owing to the smaller height of the second tubular body, an overflowaperture 257 is performed that can let brewed liquid pass after it hasbeen filtered through the filtering tubular portion 22. Of course, thelower lid 262 can be made integral with the overflow wall such as ininjected plastic. The lower lid, overflow wall and first portion couldbe made of an integrally moulded plastic as well. The first portioncould have a non-tubular shape as well. The points O1, O2 represent thepossible water introduction sites in the capsule. As it shows, the watercan be introduced at the upper or lower centre of the capsule throughthe upper or lower lid straight in the enclosure. The points P1 P2represent the possible exit point for the brewed beverage. The beveragecan possibly be dispensed from the capsule along any suitable locationbetween the first and second tubular portions through the lower lid 262.

FIG. 23 illustrates another variant of a concentric arrangement oftubular portions of progressively decreasing diameters (i.e.,respectively, from a first to a third portion) that differs slightlyfrom the previous in that the enclosure 20 is provided at the outermostannular volume between a first outer portion 220 and a second filtertubular portion 22. In this embodiment, a third portion 3F of tube ofsmaller diameter and smaller height is placed at the centre to forceoverflow of the brewed beverage. Points O1, O2, O3, O4 represents thepossible inlet fluid sites. Point P1 represents the possible beverageoutlet site.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present subjectmatter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is thereforeintended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appendedclaims.

The invention is claimed as follows:
 1. A beverage brewing apparatus forpreparing a beverage, the apparatus comprising: a beverage capsulecomprising an enclosure containing one or more beverage ingredients anda filtering wall to filter the brewed liquid that exits the enclosure,and a brewing device comprising capsule handling members that maintainthe capsule in a determined brewing position that is vertical such thatfluid is injected into the capsule through a lateral wall of theenclosure, wherein the vertical brewing position of the capsulepositions the filtering wall vertically, and an overflow wall ispositioned within the capsule in parallel association with the filteringwall and a filtered liquid traversing the filtering wall is forced topass at least one overflow aperture of the overflow wall.
 2. Thebeverage capsule apparatus of claim 1 wherein the overflow wall ispositioned at a front end of the enclosure, and the lateral wall throughwhich the fluid is injected is positioned at a rear end of the enclosureand opposite to the overflow wall, the filtering wall extending parallelto the overflow wall and the lateral wall through which the fluid isinjected.
 3. The beverage capsule apparatus of claim 1 wherein thebrewing device comprises a perforating member that forms the at leastone overflow aperture in the overflow wall.
 4. The beverage capsuleapparatus of claim 1 wherein the brewing device comprises an injectiondevice that introduces fluid into the capsule through the lateral wall.5. The beverage capsule apparatus of claim 4 wherein the injectiondevice introduces the fluid into the capsule at a pressure not exceeding0.2 bars.
 6. The beverage capsule apparatus of claim 1 wherein theoverflow wall comprises a plurality of puncturing members distributedacross an inner surface of the overflow wall.
 7. The beverage capsuleapparatus of claim 1 wherein the capsule handling members cooperate inengagement to close about the capsule.
 8. The beverage capsule apparatusof claim 6 wherein one of the capsule handling members is fixed relativeto the brewing device and the other capsule handling member is mobilerelative to the fixed capsule handling member.
 9. The beverage capsuleapparatus of claim 1 wherein the vertical position of the capsule andthe overflow wall direct the fluid substantially horizontal and thenupward.